Compensation and Student Employee Benefits

Medical Coverage

For all PhD students in their fully funded years and/or when on a fully-funded appointment, the University offers a comprehensive health-care plan with no premiums that also covers dependents. For more information and to enroll visit the Columbia Health website.

Dental Benefits

The University offers two dental plans for all PhD students and their dependents in their fully-funded years and/or when on a fully-funded appointment. The University covers part of the premiums of each of the plans.

• Emblem Dental Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plan: The EmblemHealth Preferred Dental Program provides access to over 12,700 General Dentists and Specialists throughout our area. EmblemHealth's fully insured benefits include 100% paid in full in-network coverage for preventative dental services along with many other benefits. Please review the Emblem Dental Making the Most of Your Dental Plan brochure for more information.
  • If you choose to enroll in the EmblemHealth dental plan, the University covers 75% of premiums for all PhD students in their fully funded years and their dependents. The annual premium cost to you for this plan year is $61.05 for single coverage or $166.98 for family coverage.
  • Note: ColumbiaDoctors Dentistry does not participate in this plan. Please review the list of participating dentists before enrolling.
  • New students who wish to enroll in the Emblem PhD Plan need to email [email protected] with a request to enroll. A Benefits Service Center Representative will then follow up with each student to complete the enrollment.
  • Note: Once enrolled, you will see a charge on your student account for the full amount of the cost for the plan you are enrolled in, $244.20 for single coverage or $667.92 for family coverage. This charge will be followed by a credit on your account in the amount of $183.15 for single coverage or $500.94 for family coverage, for a net cost of $61.05 for single coverage or $166.98 for family coverage. If you have questions regarding the credit on your account, please contact your Financial Aid Office.
• Aetna Dental PPO Plan: Aetna Student Health offers a Dental Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plan to Columbia University students and their eligible dependents. Please review the Columbia Health website for details and enrollment.
  • If you choose to enroll in the Aetna dental plan beginning August 1, 2022, the University will provide an equivalent dollar amount of 75% of the premium for the EmblemHealth dental plan in subsidy toward the Aetna dental premium.
  • To enroll go to: Columbia Health Voluntary Dental and Vision Plans.
  • Note: Once you enroll, you will be required to pay the amount of the premium directly to Aetna. Once enrolled, you may submit your receipt of payment to your Financial Aid Office to initiate a credit on your account in the amount of $183.15 for single coverage or $500.94 for family coverage. If you have questions regarding the credit on your account, please contact your Financial Aid Office.

Health Funds

All student employees within the unit have access to two student employee support funds.

• The Student Employee Support Fund reimburses out-of-pocket medical, dental, and vision expenses of student employees. The fund will provide $350,000 through August 1, 2023, and by $25,000 per year for the remaining two years of the SWC-UAW contract.
• The Student Employee Dependent Support Fund reimburses out-of-pocket medical, dental, and vision expenses for dependents of student employees. The fund will provide $175,000 in out-of-pocket reimbursements through August 1, 2023, and will increase by $25,000 per year to a maximum of $225,000 starting August 15, 2024.
• Details and an application are available on the Student Support Fund Page. Questions may be sent to [email protected].

Child Care

The University provides a limited annual child care subsidy for parents registered in a PhD program who are funding eligible of $5,000 for each child who is under the age of 6 and not yet attending kindergarten. If both parents are funding-eligible PhD students at the University, they each may apply individually for the child care subsidy.  The subsidy will increase to $5,500 effective August 1, 2024.

Additional Benefits When on Appointment

• Advance Requests: Salaried PhD students, DMAs, and MFA students who are instructors in the University Writing Program who are experiencing financial hardship and needing an advance on their Fall 2022 funding may request such an advance. Requests may be submitted starting on August 22, 2022 and through October 5, 2022 for any amount up to $3,000. Requests submitted will be reviewed and processed promptly, and funds will be disbursed in late August or early September. Students who may apply for this advance will see a link to the application form when logged into their student account via SSOL. Please note that there are additional criteria and conditions in order to receive this advance.
  • You must submit a request for a specific amount, up to $3,000, via the dedicated application form in SSOL.
  • The amount of the advance will appear as a charge on your student account, which must be paid prior to registering for the Spring 2023 term.
  • You must be enrolled in a PhD or DMA program, or enrolled in the MFA program and an instructor in the University Writing Program.
  • You must be registered for the Fall 2022 term.
  • Your student account balance must be $5,000 or less.
  • You are currently, or are expected to be, appointed as a salaried student officer during the fall term. Students who are on $0 salary appointments, or paid fully through the lump sum stipends at the start of the fall term (external awards, training grants, etc.) are not eligible.
  • All applications are subject to review for compliance with the terms described above.
• Transit/Parking Reimbursement Program (T/PRP): Student employees may participate in the University Transit/Parking Reimbursement Program (T/PRP) when they are working on salaried appointment. The T/PRP allows you to pay for commuting expenses with pre-tax dollars, deducted directly from your paycheck. See the Human Resources Transit/Parking Reimbursement Program website for more information, including how to enroll.
• Voluntary Retirement Savings Program (VRSP): Student employees may participate in the VRSP when they are working on salaried appointment. The VRSP is a 403(b) retirement plan that lets you contribute from 1% to 80% of your eligible pay, on a pre-tax (deducted along with any other taxes) and/or Roth after-tax (deducted from take-home pay) basis, up to annual IRS limit. See the Human Resources Retirement -- Student Employees website for more information, including how to enroll.